


four swords prompt drabbles

by violetinfidel



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: i dont know when ill update dont expect any regularity lmao, just a collection of my stuff, these are all random drabbles from prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2018-12-31 11:18:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 7,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12131322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetinfidel/pseuds/violetinfidel
Summary: just some prompts i got on tumblr, main is @violetinfidel





	1. Chapter 1

“Red, what’s in that box?”

 

“Before I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad-”

 

“ _ Red _ -”

 

“Promise or I’m not saying anything!”

 

Blue sighs and crosses his arms. “Fine. I promise I’m not gonna get mad.”

 

“Well, see, what happened was-” The box meows softly, and Blue has his answer.

 

“Cats? You brought cats home? Do you know how much of a mess they’re gonna-”

 

“You promised!” Red cuts him off, hugs the box a little closer to his chest. “They were sitting on the side of the road in Castle Town, I couldn’t just leave them there!”

 

“We aren’t keeping them.”

 

“You don’t get to make that decison.” Red opens the box and peeks inside, and the kittens start mewling again. “How much milk do we have?”

 

“Red-”

 

“How much milk do we have, Blue?”

 

Blue sighs. “How many kittens are there?”

 

“Just three.”

 

“We’ll have enough.”

 

“Good. Get me the milk in a cup and a couple of eye droppers. I don’t know how long it’s been since they’ve had anything to eat.”

 

Blue’s grumbling about the shedding and the litter training, but he does as requested. Red’s just got the dropper to the little calico’s mouth when Vio comes down, and Red’s about to explain, but he just shrugs, picks up a dropper, and picks up the third kitten.

 

“Are these the new house pets?” He asks as he fills the dropper, and he’s met with Blue’s resounding ‘ _ hell _ no’.

 

“Once they’re healthy and strong enough we can give them to Arcy,” Red says, refills his dropper, “She’s been complaining about a rat infestation lately.”

 

When Green gets back from Hyrule Castle, it’s to three kittens stumbling their way around the living room and his three comrades keeping a watchful eye on them from the couch. He doesn’t bother questioning it.

 

“What are we naming them?”


	2. blue/green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :) platonic, based off the prompt "if one more baby cries while we're in this store i'm going to fist fight its mother!"

“Oh my  _ god _ !”

 

“Blue, please-”

 

“If  _ one more _ baby cries while we’re in this store I’m going to fist fight its mother!”

 

The woman pushing the cart past them just so happens to be a mother, and she gives them a dirty look as she goes. Green grimaces and pulls his headphones from his pocket and gives them to Blue, pats him on the shoulder. “Go to your happy place, Blue,” He says, winces as the child’s wail peaks in a shriek that could shatter glass.

 

“My  _ happy place _ ?” Blue snorts, but shoves the buds in his ears just the same.

 

When the screaming only grows closer (and louder), Green sends Blue to the opposite end of the store to get something. As fate would have it, when they go to check out the very same kid is sniffling in the cart beside them with a lollipop shoved in his pouty little mouth. Blue stares the kid down, and Green has to drag him away by the hood before he makes good on his word.

 

“I’ll give him something to cry about,” Blue grumbles as they take their bags, and Green cuffs him on the ear before he can say anything too loudly. 

 

“That’s called child abuse,” Green says as they go to the car, “And it’s illegal.”

 

“Not if I don’t get caught.”


	3. shadow/being an asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what it says on the tin, folks.

Shadow’s in a mood when he’s recovered enough to speak to them. He leans against the glass of the Dark Mirror- repaired, courtesy of Vio’s research and Zelda’s magic- and he glares at them with obvious distrust. 

 

“Why’d you bother bringin’ me back?” He’s directed the most pointed looks at Blue, but he’s kept a wary eye on Vio too, though he speaks mostly to Zelda. His body language speaks volumes on how he’s feeling about all this, once he’s corporeal- arms crossed, shoulders hunched, legs tucked close, he’s clearly not thrilled. “In case you weren’t payin’ attention, I wasn’t exactly on your side.”

 

“You redeemed yourself,” Green offers, but that seems to irritate Shadow more.

 

“Hey, cut the ‘forgive and forget’ bullshit for me, okay? Doesn’t resonate with me. I know you heroes like to think the sun rises in the morning to see your pretty little faces, but I didn’t do it for you.”

 

“But you did it-”

 

“And that’s what matters, yeah, yeah, sure. If it’s the action that matters more than the intention then I think someone here has something to say to me, huh?” When there’s silence, he gives a bitter laugh. “Look, why don’t you just send me right back and we can forget about all this? Better for everyone.”

 

“Because you’re one of us now, not them.”

 

Shadow sets his unamused glare on Green. “Really? We’re going with that?” His form seems to dissolve for a moment, shifting like smoke in the breeze, but then he’s solid again. “Breaking the mirror doesn’t mean I’m some holy little Hylian like you. I’m still a shadow, I’m still something made from darkness. All it means is I know where to cut the shit and stick where I belong. Okay? Understand? Need me to write it down for you?” He stands, and the mirror’s surface ripples. “Great, so glad we got this cleared up,  _ goodbye _ .”

 

There's a long, tense silence as his form melts into the mirror, as the surface solidifies and fades to a flat black.

 

“This is gonna take a while,” Green sighs.


	4. shadow/vaati

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Well, you know. When you’ve spent all these thousands of years waiting for the big day, and it finally comes. Like waiting for birthdays.’  
> ‘We don’t have birthdays.’  
> ‘I didn’t say we do. I just said that was what it was like.’  
> -((Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett))  
> i love good omens so much...

Shadow sighs, tapping his claws on the mirror’s surface impatiently. Vaati’s tasked him with keeping an eye on the heroes’ progress, and he doesn’t exactly feel up to going to do it in person. He’s still stinging from the last time he got the wrong end of the swords.

 

“Where are they now, Shadow Link?”

 

“They’re on their way up, Master Vaati,” Shadow says, drags his claws across the glass until it focuses on the four heroes. “Slowly, but they’re comin’.”

 

“Do they have the keys to the tower?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

“ _ Yet _ ? Are you suggesting they’ll get them?”

 

“I’m sayin’ the green one’s already got one. Three more, how long’s it gonna take them? We need to set somethin’ up, or they’ll be here in no time.” Shadow expects Vaati to get angry at him, but instead a grin spreads across his face, like a child in a candy shop, and Shadow has to ask why.

 

“Well, you know, when you’ve spent all these thousands of years waiting for the big day, and it finally comes- it’s like waiting for birthdays.”

 

“Master Vaati, we don’t have birthdays.”

 

“I didn’t say we do. I just said that was what it was like.”

 

Shadow shrugs, turns back to the mirror. “So what, then? What are we doing now?”

 

“I’ll take care of it. You stay here and watch the mirror. Make sure no one comes in here.” Vaati’s form starts to blur, like someone’s set a veil in front of him, twists and shifts and melts until it’s reformed into a startling likeness of Zelda. It’s definitely one of the creepiest things Shadow’s ever seen, and that’s saying something, but he knows better than to say that out loud.

 

“Shadow Link, remind me again where we keep the boy’s father? I have a little gift for him."


	5. vio/frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Why are you always so cynical?’  
> ‘I said. Because it’s my job.’  
> -((Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett))

“Vio, what’s it looking like?”

 

“I doubt we will be able to make it through before nightfall, and I strongly against traversing the forest after the sun has set.”

 

“And what happens if we do?”

 

“Well, given monsters’ propensity for ambushes, I would say we are several times as likely to get attacked, and the risk of one of us getting injured is higher as well. It is also much more difficult to navigate in the dark, but lanterns may attract enemies, and Red’s fire rod is much too dangerous to use in such a place. The odds of us making it successfully, without incident, are exceptionally low.”

 

Green gives him a look. “Why are you always so cynical?”

 

Vio gives him a look right back, adjusts his pack on his shoulders. “It is my job. Have we not been over this?”

 

“It isn’t your job. Your job is to be our personal encyclopedia, since none of  _ us _ can be bothered to do that.”

 

“Even so, it comes with the territory.”

 

Green playfully rolls his eyes, elbows him in side and turns to the other two. “Alright, guys, we’re gonna keep going-”

 

“I would not-”

 

“But according to Vio we’ve gotta make really good time, so let’s get going!”

 

Vio’s muttering something about ill-conceived journeys as they enter the forest, but for a while it’s smooth sailing, and Green feels no particular pressure on him to hurry as the sun slowly dips beneath the horizon.

 

“I do believe you had said something about making good time?”

 

“Relax, Vio, it’s nearly dark and we’re still fine! Nothing’s challenged us so far.”

 

“Yes, and that is what concerns me.”

 

“I think he just wanted an excuse to make camp for the day,” Blue suggests, and snickers when Vio turns his glare on him.

 

“Hey, Vio, it’s okay if you just wanna sit and read for a while,” Red chimes in, and Vio gives a long-suffering sigh and swallows the teasing with dignity.

 

It’s satisfying to watch Blue stumble over roots as the visibility gradually decreases, and it’s even more satisfying, in a strange sort of way, when the glow of lanterns drifts insidiously closer, and the demented cackling of poes echoes all around them.


	6. blue/shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 22; caught in a storm

“Told you it was gonna rain, idiot.”

 

“You don’t need to rub it in my face, jerk.” Blue mutters a string of swears under his breath as he takes his hat off to wring it out. “I’m soaking wet, and Green and them have all the supplies. What’re we supposed to do ‘til the storm lets up?”

 

“Hell if I know.” Shadow’s dry in the time it takes Blue to fold his hat, and he scowls.   
  


“Magic’s cheating,” He complains, “Get wet again and suffer like a man.”

 

“Well,  _ excuse me _ for not wanting to die of hypothermia.”

 

“But it’s okay for me to?”

 

“Sure. Worse comes to worst I’ve got a food source for at least a couple days.”

 

Blue grimaces at the thought. “Dude. That’s disgusting.”

 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Shadow stretches out languidly on the ground, staring up at the outcropping that shelters them. “We better hope there’s no wind. This place is nothing more than a dent in the cliffside. We’ll get drenched if the weather tries some bullcrap.”

 

“You’re telling me.” Even with the rain falling in straight flat sheets, he’s getting splashed with the mist of the water colliding with the earth. He scoots more towards the middle, hugs his knees to his chest. “This sucks. We can’t even try and put up a smoke signal for them.”

 

“They’ll just have to find us, then. Course, I could always just go back to shadow form and go to them that way.”

 

“Don’t you dare ditch me here-!”

 

Shadow gives him a grin that he very much wants to slap off his stupid smug face. “What, would you miss me or something?”

 

“ _ What _ ?! No, dirt-for-brains-”

 

Shadow bats his eyelashes, props his chin on his hand and gives his most winning smile. “Y’know, Blue, it’s okay to admit you love me-”

 

“I  _ don’t _ !”

 

“Sounds like the kind of thing a person who loves me would say.”

 

“You must have a lot of relationship problems.”

 

Shadow allows himself one last laugh at Blue’s indignation, then gives it a rest. He’d rather not spend an indeterminate amount of time under a small shelter with a pissed-off Blue.

 

“I can’t stand the stupid cold,” Blue mutters, and Shadow notices his shivering, the way he’s balled up to conserve heat.

 

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Shadow offers an arm to him, which Blue stares at pointedly.

 

“To conserve heat,” Shadow says with a roll of his eyes, and Blue hesitates for a moment, but a gust of wind pushes a spattering of frigid rain into their shelter and Blue forsakes his pride.

  
“Never speak of this to  _ anyone _ ,” He hisses through chattering teeth, and Shadow promises he won’t (but he doesn’t say anything about  _ writing _ about it…).


	7. blue/shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> again

“That was literally the worst joke I’ve ever heard.”

 

“Are you kidding me? That was comedy gold!”

 

“ _ Green _ tells better jokes than that.”

 

Shadow considers flinching for dramatic effect. “Ouch, man.”

 

“Don’t make stupid jokes if you can’t handle the backlash, idiot.”

 

“It was clever! Dude, just pity laugh, at least.”

 

“Ha,” Blue says dryly, rests his hammer over his shoulder. “It was hilarious, Shadow, is that what you wanted to hear? Almost pissed my pants laughing.”

 

“That’s better,” Shadow agrees with a nod, “But it didn’t really sound  _ genuine _ . Maybe go over that again, but with more enthusiasm, more  _ emotion _ . Three, two one, action-  _ action _ , I said- Blue, you’re the worst actor I’ve ever seen.”

 

“I’ll learn to act when you learn how to make a decent joke.”

 

“Okay, I’ve got a joke for you- your acting skills.”

 

“Hey, I’m a great actor when I want to be!”

 

“Really? Prove it.”

 

“Well, I think I’ve been doing good at acting like I can tolerate you.”


	8. red/vio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which vio is a stubborn asshole

“Red, please, leave me be. I am fine.”

 

Red crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe. “Vio, we hardly ever see you anymore. You’re always in your room or at the castle library, and the only person that’s able to say how you’re doing is Zelda, ‘cause she’s the only one you talk to! This needs to stop,” He says firmly, “You’re going to kill yourself at this rate.”

 

“I am fine,” Vio insists, though the dark circles ringing his eyes beg to differ. “Zelda sees to that personally.”

 

“She shouldn’t  _ have _ to,” Red groans, exasperated, “See, this is the problem, Vio! You aren’t taking care of yourself!” He sighs, softens a bit, looks at Vio with something that’s almost pity. “I think it’s time you give it up, Vio. If you haven’t made any progress by now, you never will.”

 

“I just need more time.” But Vio doesn’t sound certain, he sounds pleading, almost desperate. “More resources, that is all.”

 

“Vio, have you looked in a mirror lately?” Red belatedly realizes that wasn’t the best choice of words, but it’s too late, and he has a point to make besides. “It’s time to put this aside, okay? You’ll waste your whole life like this if we let you. Just accept it and move on. Please. This whole idea of bringing him back- it’s wishful thinking, a dream, and you know it just as well as we do.”

 

Vio shakes his head. “It is possible. I know it is. I am telling you, just a little while longer and I will have made a breakthrough-"

 

Red gives a wordless shout of frustration, throws his hands in the air, defeated. “You know what? Okay, Vio. Fine. More time, as long as you want. Follow your stupid dream. But don’t expect everyone to be sympathetic when you finally realize it can’t be done.” He pushes off the wall, turns on his heel and stomps downstairs with frustrated tears pooling in his eyes, leaves Vio staring blankly at his book, alone.


	9. links/halloween spirit

“Dude, I think we stayed out too late.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, I dunno, no one’s opening up now and Red and Vio went home two hours ago to trade candy and, y’know,  _ all the streetlight are out _ .”

“That’s quitter talk.”

“Say what you want, but I don’t wanna be rude. I think we should go now.”

“C’mon, one more house?”

“We went through five neighborhoods!”

“Yeah, and look at our haul compared to what theirs was! I’m so gonna rub this in Vio’s face when we get back.”

“I’m gonna go now.”

“Suit yourself!” 

Green turns around and starts walking away, and Blue continues on down the road, looking for a house with a light on. There aren’t many, but he’s determined. Until he starts to hear things. At first he tells himself it’s just inflatables and decorations all rustling in the wind, because it’s natural, just part of the Halloween atmosphere. He slows his pace, listens closer, realizes they sound a little too much like footsteps for his comfort, and with a certain amount of disdain for himself, turns tail and runs after Green.

He doesn’t meet Green’s eyes to spare himself the embarassment.

“What’s wrong, man?”

“Changed my mind. I gotta make sure you get home safe. Wouldn’t want someone coming after my poor defenseless baby brother.”

“You’re literally ten seconds older than me. Literally.”

“And that’s ten seconds’ worth more life experience than you. It’s okay, little baby bro, big brother Blue’s got you.”

“Oh, shut up, will you-” And clearly he hears something too, because his ears perk up and he suddenly looks very nervous. “Hey, did, uh, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Maybe playing tough will save him some face.

They hear it again, and it’s very obviously footsteps, and it puts a little spur in their step as they head for home. “Maybe we should call Vio,” Green says, nervously, “Just to have someone on the phone, y’know.”

“No way I’m doin’ that. He said this was gonna happen and I’m not gonna give him that satisfaction.”

“Really? You’re gonna risk our safety for your  _ pride _ ?” Green shoves him off and reaches for his phone. “No way, man, I’m gonna-” He pauses, and swears under his breath. “Oh, for Hylia’s sake, my phone’s dead!”

“Ha!” It’s a bittersweet victory, because his anxiety is spiking and he’s about to break into a flat sprint towards home.

Those footsteps are closer now, getting nearer by the second, and then something taps him on the shoulder and he wheels around and punches them hard in the face without stopping to think.

“Ow,  _ shit _ , dude! I was just havin’ fun!”

Shadow is standing there dressed in all black (as a shadow, probably), hunched over in pain clutching at his nose.

“Hylia, Blue, I think I’m bleeding!”

“Then don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Green gets between them before Blue can get a second hit in, ushers them both towards home. “C’mon, Vio can look at that when we’re back, but let’s please just get out of the dark.”

They get back just fine, without any more incidents, and Vio and Red have their hauls sorted out neat and organized on the kitchen table. Vio takes a look at Shadow’s nose, prods it a bit and determines it isn’t broken, just bruised, and they give him an ice pack and tell him to walk it off (which he sneers at). Blue brags for days afterward about how much candy he got (and also about punching Shadow).


	10. vio/obliviousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> vio is gay and doesn't care much to notice ""crushes""

“Vio, have you noticed anything unusual about her?”

“About who?”

“That girl you said is new to your company.”

“We have no new members.”

“Of archers, stupid.”

“I am not sure I know who you are speaking of.”

“The one right over there,” Blue says, just a little irritated, and makes a subtle gesture to a brunette sitting across the table of the mess hall. She’s with a little group of friends, and turns away when she realizes he’s looking at them.

Vio hardly glances over his book. “She is a new recruit. Shows promise, if she puts in the work.”

“Anything else?”

“Loud,” He offers, shrugs, and an outburst of giggles from the trio accentuates his point.

“Anything  _ else _ ?”

Blue can see him raise an eyebrow from behind whatever tome he’s flipping through. “I am busy. Do not make me play guessing games.”

“For the love of Hylia, it’s hardly a guessing game.”

“If you have a point you should really get to it.”

“Vio, you’re really getting on my nerves right now.” He casts a furtive glance over to the group, sees they’ve got their backs turned, engaged with the troupe of cavaliers behind them. “ How can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?”

He doesn’t even bother prying his attention from the book; history, Blue notices, of course, it’s research for technology. “If this is a joke it is not a funny one.”

“Hylia- Vio-  _ Hylia _ , man, come  _ on _ , you  _ really _ don’t know? You seriously didn’t notice?”

“I care very little.”

“Dude. That’s kinda cold.”

“She cannot possibly expect me to do anything if I know nothing of it.”

“Oh, so that’s why you do it? So you don’t have to deal with it?”

“It spares us both an awkward conversation, I think.”

“I’m gonna go over there and tell her that you know.”

“Why? So I can explain to her that I have no interest in her? She is a colleague and that is all.”

Blue pushes himself up from his seat, snatches the book and shuts it (without marking the page, to Vio’s irritation) and tosses it on the table. “I’m telling her.”

“Be my guest,” He says, shrugs, and takes the book, looks for his page. If Blue wants to practice hypocrisy that’s no business of his.

The mess table is a long one, and it takes Blue a very frustrating minute to get all the way around to the girl. He’s already been yelled at once for jumping it, to get ahold of Green after a particularly terrible joke, and he isn’t eager for that to happen again.

He doesn’t know her name, so he settles for standing awkwardly behind their seats and saying “miss” until she realizes he’s talking to her and turns to listen. “Hi,” He says, and that’s all he gets out.

“Hello,” Interrupts Vio from across the table, and for the briefest of brief moments, Blue’s proud of him, until he sees the  _ look _ on his face. “Terribly sorry to interrupt, I know the two of you were about to speak, but my friend here has been trying to work up the courage to come up to you for months now, and I thought I might facilitate- he likes you, you see, he is just very short on confidence.”

The girl’s face erupts in a blush a color that could put a river zora to shame, and she looks wide-eyed at Blue, at Vio for a long moment and then back at Blue, and he’s in a very difficult situation, caught between sparing her feelings and sparing himself, and suddenly he can see a little better from Vio’s perspective.

He excuses himself, briefly, turns to Vio. “I’m kicking your ass for this once we’re outta here,” He hisses, and Vio gives him a wry smile and goes back to his reading.


	11. sheik/bad dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wow, something that isn't four swords???

Hyrule is burning. 

If he’s seen it once he’s seen it a thousand times, but Hyrule is burning. The sky is fire and the waters are blood and the clouds are ash, and there’s nothing to be done about it. Far, far off, somewhere vaguely in the distance, a beacon shines, thin and dim, pulsing feebly against the dark smog hanging overhead. It is a pathetic sight. Instinctively Sheik knows that that is the hero, locked in his slumber of seven years, to mature his spirit and his body so that he might stand a chance against the King of Darkness.

Further off is the pale glow of Zelda, guarded by ever-watchful Impa; he knows she will be safe with her, diligent guard she is. The hero is his charge. He is tasked with protecting Link, the hope of Hyrule, their last-ditch effort. Link, and the sword he will grow to wield, when he is ready. But for now he lay dormant, spirits of the sages joined in the temple’s defense.

Something twinges- a sixth sense, perhaps, or sheikah intuition. The hero is in danger.

But the hero is so so far. Far in the distant regions of the land, consciousness suspended, in no state to defend himself.

Sheik runs.

He sprints, as Impa taught him how when he was young, long strides held steady and proud with magic and heritage. He covers much ground. The ground stretches to match him. It feels like running in water, or mud- too slow, too heavy, too difficult, a leap that could bridge a chasm hardly taking him an inch. Too little, and too late. There is something advancing on the latent hero, quickly, maliciously, not one to be trifled with. Sheik is sure it can break the temple’s seal, given time. It will have that time, if he does not pick up the pace. But he cannot pick up the pace.

He struggles against the invisible bindings, to no avail; he does not tire, but he does not progress. Inch by inch, at a shuffle, a crawl, a speed that a slug would scoff at, he moves forward, a pawn in an ineffable game of chess. He reaches the Temple of Time just at the right moment, ironically, to watch the sages’ seal shatter like a hammer to glass, to watch the  _ it _ , an inky black mass of negative space, march inside. And the beacon is smothered, the candle snuffed, and its great bellows-roar resonates deep in his heavy, aching heart. He has seen this before. He will see it again.

He wakes, sweating and breathless, beside the child hero’s pallet. If only he knew what lay ahead.


	12. shadow/revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :) this one got a little outta hand, 2000+ words, enjoy

Hylians are so incredibly  _ stupid _ it’s funny. He’d seen his opening and taken it; somehow, inexplicably, a passage to Hyrule had been opened. So he’d gone through it, clawed himself out against the harsh kickback of the light, emerged from frothing darkness on the other side of the Mirror, under the new moon.

Stupid, stupid Hylians, with their little pet projects. They’d been  _ repairing _ the Mirror. All signs point to it, the tools laid carefully by its frame, the fragments pieced together on its horizontal surface, some pathetic little signs staked around that probably say something stupid like “keep away”. He can’t read Hylian, but he knows how they love their little useless measures. So unbelievably  _ stupid _ \- they’re  _ inviting  _ another Vaati in. What’s the point of putting it back together? It certainly isn’t in anyone’s best interests, except maybe his own.

He’s laughing at them all the way to the castle. They aren’t going to suspect  _ anything _ , are they? He’s got a better shot on his own than he ever did with the forces of Ganon at his back. What a rich little piece of irony that is. He’d love to rub it in their faces, but Vaati’s dead and Ganon is back in his thousand-year nap. Maybe he’ll just leave a memo.

He won’t even bother with Castle Town- not yet. No need to raise alarm when walking right in will be so deliciously easy. Take out the top of the pyramid, and work his way down, that’ll be the best way to do it. And he’s willing to bet that that Four Sword is back in its pedestal, rotting away in its temple ruins, waiting for another goddess-blessed airhead to yank it out again. All so stupid. He’d nearly destroyed that piece of crap back at the Fire Temple- they’d just gotten lucky, that time. Not going to happen again.

Guards are so dumb, so easy to fool. They’re looking for people, not shadows; he slips in and out of the darkness smooth as silk, waltzes right by, mutters a thing or two just to mess with ‘em. Won’t matter much soon. The ones stationed by the door look so ridiculous, caricatures of vigilance, the proudest of their stations. And he just laughs and waves as he moves right on by, because no one’s looking for a  _ shadow _ . Shadows are  _ harmless _ .

“Hello, Princess,” He says as he strolls right into the throne room, “I do believe we have some unfinished business.”

The look of  _ fear _ on her face as she turns is priceless, a deer staring down the shaft of an arrow. Someone up in the balcony shouts, sends a crossbow bolt at him; he laughs, flicks it away like they’d tossed a toothpick.

“This is between just us two,” He says, so conversationally, “Do me a favor and leave it that way, yeah?” There’s a thump as they fall to the floor, unconscious. An instant death is poor form and just no  _ fun _ .

She shouts, for someone he can’t quite make out from that distance. It doesn’t really matter, because he’s got her right where he wants her.

“Shadow Link. What are you doing in my realm?”

“What d’you think, sweetheart? I’ll give you three guesses, first two are free.”

She sets a fierce glare on him and says nothing.

He sighs, eases his feet off the floor, lets the flow of magic hold his weight. “Oh, you’re no fun. Some little idiot playing archaeologist pieced the Mirror back together, and, well, here I am! And like I said, I’ve got some unfinished business with you.”

Her resoluteness is admirable, even in the face of what she must understand is her death. “Do any others follow?”

“You think I’d give any of those fools a chance to take this from me? No one else but me. Flipped the Mirror and blocked the moon from it. They’re not coming back. You’re  _ welcome _ , by the way, for even breaking it in the first place. Really a nice thing to have done, if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Oh, ouch,” He says, and laughs. “The Princess didn’t ask for my opinion. Guess I’ll just be on my way, then, huh?” He can hear footsteps approaching- another detail of guards, he assumes. “Funny. But I still haven’t gotten a thank you.”

“After everything that you’ve done to Hyrule?”

“What, saving it? Yeah, I  _ said _ you’re  _ welcome _ ! Why, now I’m almost regretting my decision.”

“Something tells me you already have, Shadow Link.”

The doors to the left of the throne burst open- Shadow’s prepared to knock out a few more guardsmen, but to his absolute delight, it’s Link. And it isn’t just Link, it’s the  _ Links _ , separate and individual, and if this isn’t the most wonderful stroke of luck he’s ever hit then he doesn’t know what is.

“Well, it’s really a party now!” 

Blue looks ready to charge him and he is so very  _ ready _ , he’s going to knock these fuckers into  _ next week _ . But maybe Blue’s gotten a little better about impulsivity, oh well, because their first move is to guard Zelda- of course, of course, their precious princess. And Red doesn’t look very scared of him, Green hardly looks nervous- so much has changed. But Vio; Vio is staring him down, icy and unreadable, bow at his back and sword drawn. Some things never change. The traitor and the princess and the heroes, things just could  _ not _ go better for him today. He notices the magic rod at Red’s hip, and grins.

“Still playing with that toy I left you, huh, Red?”

Maybe he’s figured it out since Shadow died or maybe he’s just gotten much better at masking his emotions, but it doesn’t seem to faze him. He’s scowling, with a fiercer gaze than Shadow’s ever seen on him. “It works.”

“Well, unfortunately for you, it works for me too.” A snap of his fingers and the rod’s superheated, halfway to flames, and only his reflexes save him; he tears it from its holster and tosses it away as far as he can, escapes the fire by mere seconds. “I wouldn’t just give you one of my favorite things and not expect it back, you know.”

“What are you doing here?” Green asks, same as the others, firm and unflinching. How far they’ve come.

“Oh, Green,  _ I  _ don’t know, what  _ would  _ I be doing at the castle so late at night in the throne room? Just came to drop by and say hello, offer my congratulations, you know the deal, no hostility here.”

Blue looks the closest to snapping, big surprise, and Shadow welcomes it- he knows the moment one of them breaks the rest will have to. “How did you get past the guard?!”

“Simple. They’re incompetent. They’re so focused on suspicious-looking strangers they don’t pay half a second’s attention to the shadows. I bet if even one had glanced back at the wall we wouldn’t be where we are. So make sure to give Valensuela my thanks, okay? And hey, while we’re at it, where’s your father? I got him once, I bet I could do it again. It was so simple: a little mimicry, a little blood, and it was like a fly to a web. Too easy.”

Green looks like he’s about to come and fight him, now, exactly his intentions with bringing the dad into it, but Vio puts a hand on his shoulder, shakes his head. Leave it to Vio to go and ruin things for him.

“You’re so  _ quiet _ , Vio. What’s the matter, cat got your tongue? Cut out for  _ treason _ , maybe?”

He can see that Vio isn’t going to rise to the bait, which is a great shame. It’d be an accomplishment to sing of if he could get  _ that one _ breaking. “There is little to say on the matter. You know that you are not welcome here and we know that you do not care.”

“See, you might be a traitor, but at least you’ve got some sense. I don’t feel like going back through that whole spiel I had to with Zelda. All ‘why are you here’ and ‘how are you here’ and those other tired cliches. You already know, and it doesn’t really matter.”

There’s a tense silence, briefly; everyone knows that any move is going to incite a fight. He’s cocky, arrogant, and itching to kill one of them- he’s been waiting so  _ long _ for this. And they know they can’t do very much about it.

“Will you all excuse me for just a moment,” Vio says, sheaths his sword and walks out, cool as ever.

The others look confused, and if that isn’t the funniest thing to Shadow- fitting, for someone like him, pulling that.

“Look at that, from four to three and I haven’t touched a soul! Really, it’s over now.”

And he starts casting magic, then, because he can’t be patient when victory is this close, almost in his hands. Their form is to defend Zelda, at first, with a chink where Vio ought to be, and they quickly realize that without four it doesn’t work, and Zelda has magic of her own to protect herself with. So they go on the offensive, or try to- Red without his rod is like swatting a fly, he’s been specializing too much with it, and Green’s hardly an issue when all he’s got is a sword, just a quick spell to knock the sword away and he’s done with. Blue’s a little trickier, the hammer  _ hurts _ , and in a distracted moment when Zelda’s casting Blue manages to hit him good in the side, and he shouts in triumph. Until Shadow melts into the darkness, comes back out good as new, laughing.

“Idiot,” He sneers, with a maniac’s grin, blasts him aside like he’s nothing.

“I’ll save the princess for last, as befits her station, but I’m curious,” He says, and starts towards Green, “If I kill the original, do the copies die too?” Green is struggling to reach his sword, but it’s far away and he’s got some serious injuries if his crawl is anything to tell by. “Of course, I guess if that’s true then I won’t get to see Vio die a traitor’s end, but we can’t get everything, I suppose.”

He summons his copy of the Four Sword, to make sure the hero’s end comes with a brutal twist of irony, stands over Green and prepares the strike, and then he hears the door open again. He doesn’t make the rookie mistake of pausing, keeps going,  _ almost _ has it before an arrow knocks the blade off-course, and it plunges into the ground and dissipates at his angry growl, stupid  _ fucking _ traitor has to ruin  _ everything _ !

“You,” He snarls, turns to face him and finds Vio with the Bow of Light, very calmly sizing him up.

It’s almost comical, how quickly the arrogance melts into fear.

“Get away from them.”

And he hesitates, and then he does. Not very far, but away, enough for them to get back their weapons, and Zelda runs to help them and Vio keeps that deadly glowing arrow pointed straight at him.

“I am offering,” Vio says, slowly, carefully, “ _ Once _ , the opportunity to leave, and not return. And I am sincerely hoping that you will show the appropriate level of wisdom and accept, because I do not want to tarnish this hall with your blood.”

“Vio-” He hears Green hiss, but Vio shuts him down with a glance.

“And you will do this with the understanding that I will kill you on sight next time. I do not care for excuses. You leave or you die, and I will make certain that the Mirror is irreparable.”

“Why bother,” Shadow says, and hates how sharply his tone has dropped from confident to afraid.

“Think of it as our gratitude. What you have done is unforgivable, and it pains me to even let you go now. But I will not neglect to acknowledge that you helped.”

“Gratitude from a traitor, huh? Never heard that one before.”

Vio very noticeably adjusts his grip on the bow, and Shadow knows to back down now and leave, before he loses his chance.

“Fine,” He hisses, “What _ ever _ , I accept, I won’t come back.” And he melts into darkness, and leaves, and knows that he didn’t mean a word of it.


	13. shadow/being annoying/vio

Vio is well aware of the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, which is why for the longest time he says nothing. Suspected depression is one problem, something that Hylia knows Red will never leave him alone about- voices are another entirely.

He’d rather it not get out that one of the Links is “going crazy”, as he’s sure  _ someone _ ’s bound to put it. He knows that isn’t what it is, at all, but not everyone understands or cares. Still, it’s very difficult to ignore.

He can’t pin when exactly it started. Sometime after they’d brought down Ganon: that, he’s certain of. But if someone asked for a day, or a week, or even really a month, he couldn’t say. It was insidious, and subtle, at first. An odd word here or there, something he recognized as not his own thoughts- but then, intrusive thoughts, those exist and were very much a possibility. He’d brushed it aside, ignored it. There were far more important things to be focusing on, then. Hyrule Castle was in shambles, Castle Town not much better, an entire forest burnt to ashes, a body count to be taken. He’d been buried under work. And then, when finally he’d done all he could, taken off the mantle of responsibility, suddenly he found that it seemed there was another person in his mind.

Which, of course, logically, made no sense. And he’d done his research, when it really started to make itself known. Symptoms just didn’t match up. It certainly wasn’t schizophrenia, which he just  _ knew _ was going to be what everyone else immediately jumped to. It wasn’t dissociative identity disorder, because he wasn’t dissociating; he was entirely consciously present when he heard it. It was just… Extra. It didn’t make sense, and he wasn’t really willing to go to anyone about it, so he left it be, and tried not to pay any attention to it.

And as that usually goes, it just got worse. They were like intrusive thoughts, but said  _ to _ him rather than  _ by _ him, and it was really starting to get overwhelming, because whatever this was it was  _ nasty _ . He was starting to get a little (a lot) worried. He didn’t know what it was, couldn’t find anything on the subject matter that adequately fit the description, could easily figure that no one else would know either.

He still doesn’t know, hasn’t even a clue to lead him in the right direction. There’s something vaguely, vaguely familiar about it. It isn’t so much the voice- it’s in his head, after all, hardly a voice to begin with- but he knows that he knows the speech pattern from somewhere, the vocabulary, that particular slight lilt that he just  _ knows _ . Except he doesn’t.

_ I thought we’d established _ , it “says”, is that the proper thing to call it?  _ That ignoring me isn’t gonna do a damn thing. _

He goes right on ignoring it.

_ Stupid fucker, you are. This long and you still haven’t got it figured out? Vio, you were the smart one, what happened? _

He’s glad he’s alone, by himself in the vast library, because he’s sure he looks very annoyed right now, and he’d be hard-pressed to explain that to any passersby.

_ You know who I am. I know you know who I am. Can’t forget me so soon. _

He’s not really in the mood to be playing guessing games with some stupid undiagnosable voice.

_ Dumbass. _ It sounds like a sneer, if a thought can sound like something.  _ You can’t diagnose a person with a person. What d’you want the shrink to say? “I’m sorry, you have person-in-your-head disorder?” Some stupid shit like that? _

In all the time that this “person” has been present, it’s never been so incessantly  _ intolerable _ .

_ Aw, but that’s my trademark, baby. C’mon, Vio. You  _ know _ me. Better’n anyone else, I bet. And you’re sitting here like a dumb sack of shit wondering what’s going on. _

And it’s funny, how it takes being repeatedly insulted to  _ get  _ it, but then it makes sense, everything it’s been saying to him for the past year and a half. He wonders how it was so difficult for him to recognize Shadow. He’d had to put up with him a full forty-eight hours, back before they’d sealed Ganon.

_ Ding ding ding! Winner! Get this man an award, someone! World’s dumbest smartass! _

He really wishes that Shadow would shut up.

_ Only took you, what, two years? Hey, why don’t you tell Blue about this, see how long it takes  _ him _ \- maybe he’ll even get it while you’re still around! _

What is the point of this.

_ Well, to terrorize you, of course. Y’all killed me, I figure, hey, I saved your sorry asses, least you could do is offer me someplace to stay. _

He did not  _ offer. _

_ Yeah, I figured I had to take some initiative or it’d never happen. Still haven’t gotten what I wanted- an actual body’d be nice- but as long as I get to torture the traitor, I’ll settle. And hey, if you can get me into a place of my own, maybe I’ll even think about forgiving you. I’m too generous, right? _

He might actually look into that, if only to get a moment’s peace- but that’s what Shadow  _ wants _ , and there’s no telling what he’d do if that happened.

_ Look, it’s your choice. If you change your mind you know where to find me. _ Vio’s sure he’d be kicking up his feet right now, if he had them.  _ Do me a favor and tell Blue I said “fuck you”, though, ‘kay? _


	14. green/illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> did i post this before? i don't think so

“Green, don’t you dare get out of that bed.”

“Red,” Green starts, coughs and has to wait for the fit to subside before he can start again. “Red, I’m  _ fine _ -”

“Oh yeah? Tell that to the thermometer.” When Green tries to protest he holds it up and points to the little tick mark. “One-oh-two-point-three,” He says, enunciates it very carefully. “That’s a high fever, and if it gets any higher I’m gonna have to call someone here.”

“But I need to  _ go _ -”

“Blue and Vio will be just fine without us.”

“They’ll fight.”

Red scoffs at that. “You fight with Blue more than Vio does.”

“‘Cause he needs guidance.”

“Well, you won’t be very good at guiding anyone if you’re dead.”

“I won’t  _ die _ .” The next coughing fit suggests otherwise.

“You almost did, getting back here. Vio  _ told _ you not to eat that thing-”

“I was hungry and our rations were out!”

“Vio’s weren’t! Mine weren’t! We offered and you said no, I’ll just go ahead and eat this thing I  _ picked up off the ground _ , and Vio said Green you probably shouldn’t do that and you went ahead and did it and now look at you.”

“In my defense-”

“I don’t care how well you washed it, it still almost killed you.”

“Listen,” Green says, and goes to pull the blankets off, and Red shakes his head.

“Green, don’t you dare!”

“I have to-”

“I’ll come over there and sit on your legs.”

“Be right back-”

And, true to his word, Red goes over and sits on him and pins him down and refuses to move.

“You asked for this,” He says, over Green’s complaints, “And I’m not moving ‘til you settle down and rest.”

He’s quiet for a moment and then asks, with as much pathetic pleading in his voice as he can muster, whether he can have some soup. The moment Red’s out the door to get it he’s up gathering his things.

(He doesn’t last a minute in his armor.)


End file.
